Bodkin / Patterns

Card's Green River Super Cicada

Terrestrial · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook 2-3XL dry/terrestrial hook (e.g. TMC 5212 or 5263), 6-10
  • Thread Black 6/0 (140 denier)

Materials

  • Body Two stacked 2mm black closed-cell foam sheets (2)
  • Belly accent (optional) 1mm purple or smoke foam underbelly (1)
  • Wing Dun/smoke Sparkle Organza (or Zelon) (1 clump)
  • Legs Medium round rubber, black barred with ginger/orange (2-3 pairs)
  • Indicator (optional) Orange foam or poly tab (1)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a thread base and tie down a stack of two 2mm black foam sheets along the shank, segmenting the foam with thread wraps to build a fat, buoyant flush-riding body (add a 1mm purple/smoke underbelly strip for a color accent).
  2. Trim the underside of the foam body wider than it is tall so the fly sits flush and stable. Why: a broad flat belly gives the big fly a natural cicada footprint and keeps it from rolling.
  3. Tie in a Sparkle Organza (or Zelon) wing flat over the back, extending to about the bend.
  4. Splay two or three pairs of barred rubber legs to the sides at the thorax.
  5. Add a small orange foam/poly indicator tab on top if desired, whip finish, and cement the thread.

Tying videos

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